Post Action Betting

Rangers vs. Leafs prediction: NHL odds, picks, bets bets for Saturday

By
Social Links for Sean Treppedi, Action Network
Published March 2, 2024, 2:30 p.m. ET
Artemi Panarin #10 of the New York Rangers controls the puck during the second period against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Artemi Panarin #10 of the New York Rangers controls the puck during the second period against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Getty Images

The regular-season finale between the Rangers and Maple Leafs has all the ingredients for a barn burner. 

As if the previous two meetings didn’t already feature enough intrigue, the NHL’s trade deadline is less than a week away and both teams are surging toward the playoffs. 

Saturday’s puck drop should make for a telling litmus test between two major markets with expectations high as the sky after disappointing finishes last season. 

The Leafs have won eight of their last nine games, outscoring their opposition 44-25 in that span. 

Auston Matthews is coasting his way to the Rocket Richard Trophy as he leads the league in scoring with 53 goals — 12 more than Florida’s Sam Reinhart, who’s in second with 24 games left on the schedule. 

Both Matthews and John Tavares are players who rank within the top seven in expected goals this season. Matthews is No. 1 at 36.9. 

Since the All-Star break, Toronto has been humming to this kind of premiere goal scoring.

The Leafs are burying 3.66 goals and are running a volcanic power play that is cashing in at a 28.9 percent rate.

The only other team deserving of equal praise over the last month is the Rangers, who have seized 11 of their last 12 games.

They’ve gained a five-point lead in the cutthroat Metropolitan Division with lights-out special teams and improved goaltending. 

The New York street racket is always quick to lambaste those who show any shades of regression.

That was the theme of the season for Igor Shesterkin until he returned to form, posting a goals against average of 1.72 and stopping more than 95 percent of shots faced in February. 

Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers looks on against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers looks on against the Philadelphia Flyers. NHLI via Getty Images

Palms can be removed from within striking range of the panic button as the Rangers are back to playing confident hockey in front of their No. 1 goaltender.

Shesterkin has not lost a start since Jan. 26 and the Rangers have unleashed a plus-14 goal differential in those seven games. 

The Rangers have also been jamming on the power play; scoring at a 25 percent rate with the man advantage.

The offense has kept the Blueshirts atop the division all season, even in their unsavory games. 

They are scoring 3.33 goals per night with a No. 8-ranked shooting percentage thanks to Artemi Panarin’s MVP campaign and a third straight season of 30-plus goals from Chris Kreider.  

New York might just be the best team in hockey right now, but the subtle worry for the Rangers remains the same as they struggle to play complete games with five-on-five dominance.

Betting on the NHL?

Even in Wednesday’s 4-1 win over the despondent Blue Jackets, they relinquished the momentum to Columbus in the waning minutes of the game. 

Toronto followed a similar script at five-on-five in their 4-2 win over the Coyotes on Thursday. 

You can draw a few parallels between these teams, but the most revealing is how much their star-studded lineups pour it down on the power play. 

Look for the over to cash for the third time in this Original-Six matchup.

Pick: Over 6.5 goals (+100, DraftKings)